Continuous junction spin valve read head stabilized without hard bias layers

ABSTRACT

A spin valve sensor with a continuous junction is provided which has a sensor portion of a free layer longitudinally biased by first and second AFM biasing layers that are exchange coupled to first and second side portions of the free layer and a sensor portion of an AFM pinning layer that pins a sensor portion of a pinned layer perpendicular to the ABS in either a top spin valve or a bottom spin valve sensor. Magnetic spins of the first and second AFM biasing layers are set by a field longitudinal to the free layer in the presence of heat at the wafer level and magnetic spins of the sensor portion of the AFM pinning layer are set by a current pulse through the first and second leads to the spin valve sensor which sufficiently heat the sensor portion and cause a current pulse field from the free layer which acts on a pinned layer in the spin valve sensor to set the magnetic spins of the sensor portion of the AFM pinning layer perpendicular to the ABS without disturbing the orientation of the magnetic spins of the first and second AFM biasing layers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a continuous junction spin valve readhead stabilized without hard bias layers and, more particularly, tofirst and second antiferromagnetic (AFM) layers exchange coupled to thespin valve sensor for stabilizing a free layer and a third AFM layer forpinning the magnetic moment of a pinned layer of the spin valve sensor.

2. Description of the Related Art

The heart of a computer is an assembly that is referred to as a magneticdisk drive. The magnetic disk drive includes a rotating magnetic disk,write and read heads that are suspended by a suspension arm above therotating disk and an actuator that swings the suspension arm to placethe read and write heads over selected circular tracks on the rotatingdisk. The read and write heads are directly located on a slider that hasan air bearing surface (ABS). The suspension arm biases the slider intocontact with the surface of the disk when the disk is not rotating but,when the disk rotates, air is swirled by the rotating disk adjacent theABS causing the slider to ride on an air bearing a slight distance fromthe surface of the rotating disk. When the slider rides on the airbearing the write and read heads are employed for writing magneticimpressions to and reading magnetic impressions from the rotating disk.The read and write heads are connected to processing circuitry thatoperates according to a computer program to implement the writing andreading functions.

The write head includes a coil layer embedded in first, second and thirdinsulation layers (insulation stack), the insulation stack beingsandwiched between first and second pole piece layers. A gap is formedbetween the first and second pole piece layers by a gap layer at an airbearing surface (ABS) of the write head and the pole piece layers areconnected at a back gap. Current conducted to the coil layer induces amagnetic field in the pole pieces which causes flux across the gap atthe ABS for the purpose of writing the aforementioned magneticimpression in tracks on moving media, such as in circular tracks on theaforementioned rotating disk.

In recent read heads a spin valve sensor is employed for sensingmagnetic fields from the rotating magnetic disk. The sensor includes anonmagnetic conductive layer, hereinafter referred to as a spacer layer,sandwiched between first and second ferromagnetic layers, hereinafterreferred to as a pinned layer and a free layer. First and second leadsare connected to the spin valve sensor for conducting a sense currenttherethrough. The magnetization of the pinned layer is pinnedperpendicular to the air bearing surface (ABS) and the magnetic momentof the free layer is located parallel to the ABS, but free to rotate inresponse to magnetic field signals from the rotating disk. Themagnetization of the pinned layer is typically pinned by exchangecoupling with an antiferromagnetic layer.

The thickness of the spacer layer is less than the mean free path ofconduction electrons through the sensor. With this arrangement, aportion of the conduction electrons is scattered by the interfaces ofthe spacer layer with each of the pinned and free layers. When themagnetizations of the pinned and free layers are parallel with respectto one another, scattering is minimal and when the magnetizations of thepinned and free layers are antiparallel, scattering is maximized.Changes in scattering alter the resistance of the spin valve sensor inproportion to cos θ, where θ is the angle between the magnetizations ofthe pinned and free layers. In a read mode the resistance of the spinvalve sensor changes proportionally to the magnitudes of the magneticfield signals from the rotating disk. When a sense current is conductedthrough the spin valve sensor, resistance changes cause potentialchanges that are detected and processed as playback signals.

A spin valve sensor is characterized by a magnetoresistive (MR)coefficient that is substantially higher than the MR coefficient of ananisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) sensor. For this reason a spin valvesensor is sometimes referred to as a giant magnetoresistive (GMR)sensor. When a spin valve sensor employs a single pinned layer it isreferred to as a simple spin valve. When the spin valve sensor employsan antiparallel (AP) pinned layer it is referred to as an AP pinned spinvalve. A spin valve is also know as a top or bottom spin valve dependingupon whether the pinning layer is at the top (formed after the freelayer) or at the bottom (before the free layer). A pinning layer in abottom spin valve is typically made of nickel oxide (NiO). The spinvalve sensor is located between first and second nonmagneticelectrically insulative read gap layers and the first and second readgap layers are located between ferromagnetic first and second shieldlayers. In a merged magnetic head a single ferromagnetic layer functionsas the second shield layer of the read head and as the first pole piecelayer of the write head. In a piggyback head the second shield layer andthe first pole piece layer are separate layers.

It is important that the free layer of the spin valve sensor bemagnetically stable. During a typical construction of a spin valvesensor a bilayer photoresist is formed on top of multiple full filmmaterial layers of the spin valve sensor. These full film layers arethen ion milled to form the spin valve sensor with first and second sideedges that are typically tapered at an angle θ with respect to a normalto the planes of the layers. First and second hard bias layers and firstand second lead layers are then deposited with the bilayer photoresiststill in place forming what is known in the art as contiguous junctionsof the hard bias and lead layers with the first and second side edges ofthe spin valve sensor. Magnetostatic fields from the first and secondhard bias layers are employed for the purpose of aligning the magneticmoments of the free layer so that they are all in the same direction ina single domain state. Without the hard bias layers the free layer is ina multi-domain state with the magnetic domains being defined by numerouswalls. The narrower the track width the greater the magnetic instabilityof the free layer. When the free layer is subjected to magnetic fieldsignals from the rotating disk the domain walls move around whichcreates magnetic noise that is superimposed upon the read signal.

The aforementioned process of making contiguous junctions inherentlyresults in a taper of the first and second side edges of the layers ofthe sensor. Unfortunately, the greater the angle or taper of the firstand second side edges of the spin valve sensor the less theeffectiveness of the first and second hard bias layers. When the firstand second side edges of the spin valve sensor are tapered the first andsecond hard bias layers take on the soft magnetic properties of the freelayer causing the first and second hard bias layers to be magneticallymore soft and less capable of applying a magnetostatic coupling forstabilizing the free layer. The first and second hard bias layers are attheir maximum effectiveness when the first and second side edges of thespin valve sensor are vertical or parallel to a normal to the planes ofthe layers. This vertical configuration has not been obtainable with thebilayer photoresist and ion milling steps for forming the first andsecond side edges of the spin valve sensor. Accordingly, there is astrong-felt need for a biasing scheme to longitudinally bias the freelayer into a single domain state which is not degraded by sloping sideedges of the sensor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Pursuant to the above objective, I investigated a scheme employing firstand second antiferromagnetic layers in contact with the first and secondside portions of the spin valve sensor for magnetically stabilizing thefree layer. A third antiferromagnetic layer was exchange coupled to thepinned layer of the spin valve sensor for pinning the magnetic moment ofthe pinned layer perpendicular to the ABS. A wafer, upon which multipleread heads were constructed, was subjected to heat in the presence of amagnetic field that was directed longitudinal to the free layer, namelyparallel to the ABS along the track width of the read head for settingthe magnetic spins of the first and second antiferromagnetic layers inthe direction of the applied field. The heat raised the temperature ofthe entire wafer at or above the blocking temperature of the first andsecond antiferromagnetic layers. The blocking temperature is thetemperature at which the magnetic spins of the first and secondantiferromagnetic layers are free to rotate in response to a fieldapplied to the pinned layer. The first and second antiferromagneticlayers were made of a material, such as nickel manganese (NiMn) orplatinum manganese (PtMn) with a high blocking temperature of about 300°C. The third antiferromagnetic layer for pinning the pinned layer of thespin valve sensor was made of a material, such as nickel oxide (NiO) oriridium manganese (Mn) with a lower blocking temperature of about 250°C.

The wafer was then subjected to heat in the presence of a field which isdirected perpendicular to the ABS for setting the magnetic spins of thethird antiferromagnetic layer perpendicular to the ABS. Even though thesecond temperature of 250° C. is less than the first temperature of 300°C., the setting of the magnetic spins of the third antiferromagneticlayer degraded the initial setting of the magnetic spins of the firstand second antiferromagnetic layers. This is due to the fact that eventhough the second blocking temperature is lower than the first blockingtemperature the magnetic spins of the first and second antiferromagneticlayers are partially rotated during the second step of setting themagnetic spins of the third antiferromagnetic layer. This degradationthen reduces the effectiveness of the longitudinal biasing of the freelayer by the first and second AFM layers. Accordingly, while the schemeof employing antiferromagnetic layers instead of hard biasing layersovercomes the coupling problem, the process steps in setting the thirdantiferromagnetic layer for pinning the pinned layer degrades theperformance of the first and second antiferromagnetic layers whichlongitudinally bias the free layer.

I next investigated employing first and second antiferromagnetic layersfor longitudinally biasing and magnetically stabilizing the free layerand a third antiferromagnetic layer for pinning a pinned layer on acontinuous junction type of spin valve sensor. The continuous junctiontype spin valve sensor differs from the contiguous junction spin valvesensor in that the pinned, spacer and free layers of the spin valvesensor extend not only within the sensor region of the spin valve sensorbut also extend into first and second side regions on each side of thesensor regions. Accordingly, each layer of the spin valve sensor extendsthroughout a sensor region and first and second side regions with thefirst and second antiferromagnetic layers exchange coupled to first andsecond side portions of the free layer for stabilizing the free layerand the third antiferromagnetic layer is exchange coupled to the pinnedlayer and extends within the sensor region and preferably extends alsowithin the first and second side regions. The sensor region of the readhead is defined by the width of the bottom portion of the spin valvesensor and the first and second side regions are located on each side ofthe sensor region. An advantage of the continuous junction read headover the contiguous junction read head is that first and second sideedges do not have to be formed by photoresist patterning and ionmilling. This saves numerous process steps and avoids a redepositionproblem of material layers ion milled during the ion milling step.Further, with the continuous junction spin valve sensor the first andsecond antiferromagnetic pinning layers make surface to surface contactwith the first and second side portions of the free layer so as toprovide an improved exchange coupling.

A method of the invention includes setting the magnetic spins of thesensor portion of the third AFM layer so that an initial setting of themagnetic spins of the first and second AFM layers is not degraded. Thefirst and second AFM layers are set by heat in the presence of a fieldwhich is directed parallel to a longitudinal axis of the free layer.This may be accomplished at the wafer level or at the row level wherethe wafer has been cut into rows of heads. Next, a pulse is conductedthrough the spin valve sensor via first and second terminals on thewafer and first and second leads to the spin valve sensor causing thefree layer to exert a current pulse field on the pinned layer which, inturn, orients the magnetic spins of the third AFM layer in the samedirection. The current pulse heats the head discretely throughout sensorportions of the layers of the spin valve sensor and the third AFM layerwithout unduly heating the first and second AFM layers. Accordingly, thesensor portion of the third AFM layer is set to a perpendicular positionwithout degrading the setting of the longitudinal orientation of themagnetic spins of the first and second AFM layers. The continuousjunction spin valve sensor may be either a bottom spin valve sensorwhere the free layer is closer to the first gap layer than to the secondread gap layer or a top spin valve sensor where the free layer is closerto the second read gap layer than to the first read gap layer. Theaforementioned method of the invention applies to either a bottom spinvalve sensor or a top spin valve sensor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a continuous junctionspin valve sensor wherein first and second antiferromagnetic biasinglayers longitudinally bias a free layer for stabilizing its performance.

Another object is to employ an antiferromagnetic scheme for effectivelylongitudinally biasing a free layer and pin a pinned layer of acontinuous junction spin valve sensor.

A further object is to provide a method of making a continuous junctionspin valve read head wherein the setting of the magnetic spins of firstand second antiferromagnetic layers for longitudinally biasing a freelayer is not degraded by magnetically setting the magnetic spins of athird antiferromagnetic layer for pinning a magnetic moment of a pinnedlayer.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the following description taken together with the accompanyingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a planar view of an exemplary magnetic disk drive;

FIG. 2 is an end view of a slider with a magnetic head of the disk driveas seen in plane 2—2;

FIG. 3 is an elevation view of the magnetic disk drive wherein multipledisks and magnetic heads are employed;

FIG. 4 is an isometric illustration of an exemplary suspension systemfor supporting the slider and magnetic head;

FIG. 5 is an ABS view of the slider taken along plane 5—5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a partial view of the slider and a piggyback magnetic head asseen in plane 6—6 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a partial view of the slider and a merged magnetic head asseen in plane 7—7 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a partial ABS view of the slider taken along plane 8—8 of FIG.6 to show the read and write elements of the piggyback magnetic head;

FIG. 9 is a partial ABS view of the slider taken along plane 9—9 of FIG.7 to show the read and write elements of the merged magnetic head;

FIG. 10 is a view taken along plane 10—10 of FIGS. 6 or 7 with allmaterial above the coil layer and leads removed;

FIG. 11 is an isometric ABS illustration of a prior art read head whichemploys a spin valve sensor longitudinally biased by hard biasinglayers;

FIG. 12 is an ABS illustration of a first embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 13 is a view taken along plane 13—13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is an ABS illustration of a second embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 15 is an ABS illustration of a pinned layer for a spin valve readhead;

FIG. 16 is an ABS illustration of an antiparallel (AP) pinned layer foran AP pinned spin valve read head;

FIG. 17 is an isometric illustration of an exemplary wafer on which rowsand columns of magnetic heads have been constructed;

FIG. 18 is one of the rows of head of FIG. 18 after dicing the wafer;and

FIG. 19 is an isometric illustration of the setting of the magneticspins of the third antiferromagnetic layer upon the application of acurrent pulse.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Magnetic Disk Drive

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designatelike or similar parts throughout the several views, FIGS. 1-3 illustratea magnetic disk drive 30. The drive 30 includes a spindle 32 thatsupports and rotates a magnetic disk 34. The spindle 32 is rotated by aspindle motor 36 that is controlled by a motor controller 38. A combinedread and write magnetic head 40 is mounted on a slider 42 that issupported by a suspension 44 and actuator arm 46 which is rotatablypositioned by an actuator 47. A plurality of disks, sliders andsuspensions may be employed in a large capacity direct access storagedevice (DASD) as shown in FIG. 3. The suspension 44 and actuator arm 46position the slider 42 so that the magnetic head 40 is in a transducingrelationship with a surface of the magnetic disk 34. When the disk 34 isrotated by the motor 36 the slider is supported on a thin (typically,0.05 μm) cushion of air (air bearing) between the surface of the disk 34and the air bearing surface (ABS) 48. The magnetic head 40 may then beemployed for writing information to multiple circular tracks on thesurface of the disk 34, as well as for reading information therefrom.Processing circuitry 50 exchanges signals, representing suchinformation, with the head 40, provides motor drive signals for rotatingthe magnetic disk 34, and provides control signals to the actuator 47for moving the slider to various tracks. In FIG. 4 the slider 42 isshown mounted to a suspension 44. The components described hereinabovemay be mounted on a frame 54 of a housing 55, as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an ABS view of the slider 42 and the magnetic head 40. Theslider has a center rail 56, which supports the magnetic head 40, andside rails 58 and 60. The rails 56, 58 and 60 extend from a cross rail62. With respect to rotation of the magnetic disk 34, the cross rail 62is at a leading edge 64 of the slider and the magnetic head 40 is at atrailing edge 66 of the slider.

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional elevation view of a piggyback magnetichead 40, which includes a write head portion 70 and a read head portion72, the read head portion employing a spin valve sensor 74 of thepresent invention. FIG. 8 is an ABS view of FIG. 6. The spin valvesensor 74 is sandwiched between nonmagnetic electrically insulativefirst and second read gap layers 76 and 78, and the read gap layers aresandwiched between ferromagnetic first and second shield layers 80 and82. In response to external magnetic fields, the resistance of the spinvalve sensor 74 changes. A sense current I_(S) conducted through thesensor causes these resistance changes to be manifested as potentialchanges. These potential changes are then processed as readback signalsby the processing circuitry 50 shown in FIG. 3.

The write head portion 70 of the magnetic head 40 includes a coil layer84 sandwiched between first and second insulation layers 86 and 88. Athird insulation layer 90 may be employed for planarizing the head toeliminate ripples in the second insulation layer caused by the coillayer 84. The first, second and third insulation layers are referred toin the art as an “insulation stack”. The coil layer 84 and the first,second and third insulation layers 86, 88 and 90 are sandwiched betweenfirst and second pole piece layers 92 and 94. The first and second polepiece layers 92 and 94 are magnetically coupled at a back gap 96 andhave first and second pole tips 98 and 100 which are separated by awrite gap layer 102 at the ABS. An insulation layer 103 is locatedbetween the second shield layer 82 and the first pole piece layer 92.Since the second shield layer 82 and the first pole piece layer 92 areseparate layers this head is known as a piggyback head. As shown inFIGS. 2 and 4, first and second solder connections 104 and 106 connectleads from the spin valve sensor 74 to leads 112 and 114 on thesuspension 44, and third and fourth solder connections 116 and 118connect leads 120 and 122 from the coil 84 (see FIG. 10) to leads 124and 126 on the suspension.

FIGS. 7 and 9 are the same as FIGS. 6 and 8 except the second shieldlayer 82 and the first pole piece layer 92 are a common layer. This typeof head is known as a merged magnetic head. The insulation layer 103 ofthe piggyback head in FIGS. 6 and 8 is omitted.

FIG. 11 is an isometric ABS illustration of a prior art read head 72which has a spin valve sensor 130. An antiferromagnetic pinning layer132, such as 425 Å of nickel oxide (NiO), may be employed for pinning amagnetic moment of a pinned layer of the spin valve sensor 130perpendicular to the ABS. First and second hard bias and lead layers 134and 136 are connected to first and second side edges 138 and 140 of thespin valve sensor. This connection is known in the art as a contiguousjunction and is fully described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.5,018,037. The first hard bias and lead layers include a first hard biaslayer 140 and a first lead layer 142 and the second hard bias and leadlayers 136 include a second hard bias layer 144 and a second lead layer146. The hard bias layers 140 and 144 cause magnetic flux to extendlongitudinally through the spin valve sensor 130 for stabilizingmagnetic domains of the free layer. The spin valve sensor 130 and thefirst and second hard bias and lead layers 134 and 136 are locatedbetween nonmagnetic electrically insulative first and second read gaplayers 148 and 150. The first and second read gap layers 148 and 150are, in turn, located between first and second shield layers 152 and154.

It should be noted from FIG. 11 that the first and second side edges 138and 140 of the spin valve sensor 130 are tapered at an angle θ to anormal to the planes of the layers, such as layers 148 and 132. Thegreater the taper the less the effectiveness of the first hard biaslayers 140 and 144. Because of the taper, the first and second hard biaslayers 140 and 144 take on soft properties of a free layer of the spinvalve sensor 132 causing the first and second hard bias layers to losetheir hard bias effectiveness. The tapering of the first and second sideedges 138 and 140 is caused by a processing step which employs a bilayerphotoresist. When the wafer is ion milled, shadowing effects from thebilayer photoresist causes the tapering side edges. While thephotoresist mask is still in place the hard bias layers 140 and 144 aredeposited followed by the leads 142 and 146, after which the bilayerphotoresist is removed. There is a strong-felt need of an improvedscheme for longitudinally biasing the free layer of the spin valvesensor 130.

The Invention

A first embodiment 300 of the present invention is illustrated in FIG.12. This embodiment is a continuous junction type spin valve sensor anddiffers from the contiguous type spin valve sensor 130 shown in FIG. 11in that the layers of the spin valve sensor have sensor portions whichare located in a sensor region of the read head and first and secondside portions which are located in first and second side regions of theread head on each side of the sensor region. A read sensor 302 includesa spacer layer 304 which is located between a pinned layer (P) 306 and afree layer (F) 308. First and second antiferromagnetic biasing layers(AFM) 310 and 312 are exchange coupled to first and second side portionsof the free layer 308 for longitudinally biasing the sensor portion ofthe free layer to the left or to the right, as shown by the arrows inFIG. 12. A third antiferromagnetic layer 314 is exchange coupled to thepinned layer 306 for pinning a magnetic moment of the pinned layerperpendicular to the ABS, either away from the ABS or toward the ABS, asshown by the circles with a dot (⊙) in FIG. 12. It should be noted thatthe magnetic spins of the first and second side portions of the pinninglayer 314 may be oriented parallel to the ABS 90° to the orientation ofthe magnetic spins in the sensor region thereof, which will be explainedin more detail hereinafter in the discussion of the method of settingthe magnetic spins of the first, second and third antiferromagneticlayers 310, 312 and 314.

A tantalum (Ta) layer 316 may be located on the free layer between firstand second antiferromagnetic biasing layers 310 and 312 for protectingthe sensor region of the free layer 308 from subsequent processingsteps. First and second lead layers (L1) and (L2) 318 and 320 areelectrically connected to the first and second AFM biasing layers 310and 312 for conducting a sense current through the sensor portions ofthe free layer 308, the spacer layer 304 and the pinned layer 306. Thesense current, or a current in the sense current circuit, isinstrumental in setting the magnetic spins of the sensor region of thethird AFM layer 314, which will be described hereinafter in the methodof making. The spin valve sensor 302, including the tantalum (Ta) layer316 and the first and second lead layers 318 and 320, are locatedbetween nonmagnetic nonconductive first and second read gap layers (G1)and (G2) 322 and 324 and the first and second read gap layers 322 and324 are located between ferromagnetic first and second shield layers(S1) and (S2) 326 and 328. The sensor 300 will be referred to as acontinuous junction spin valve sensor. The sensor 300 is also classifiedas a bottom spin valve sensor since the pinning layer 314 and the pinnedlayer 306 are formed on the first gap layer 322 before formation of thefree layer 308. Accordingly, in a bottom spin valve sensor the freelayer 308 is located closer to the second read gap layer 324 than it isto the first read gap layer 322.

FIG. 13 is atop view of the free layer 308 taken along plane 13—13 ofFIG. 12. The free layer 308 has an edge 330 at the ABS and an oppositerecessed edge 332. The edge 332 is formed by photopatterning and ionmilling. The first and second AFM layers 310 and 312 are then depositedon the first and second side regions of the free layer 308 which arefurther recessed into the head from the back edge 332. The distancebetween the edges 330 and 332 define a stripe height of the sensor. Thefirst and second lead layers 318 and 320 are located on the first andsecond AFM layers 310 and 312, as shown in FIG. 12, with the AFM layers310 and 312 therebetween being a conductive material, such as nickelmanganese (NiMn), iron manganese (FeMn), cobalt platinum manganese(CoPtMn) or iridium manganese (IrMn). A third AFM pinning layer 314 isformed of an antiferromagnetic material that has a low blockingtemperature, such as iron manganese (FeMn), which has a blockingtemperature of 160° C., or iridium manganese (IrMn), which has ablocking temperature of 250° C. Since iridium manganese (IrMn) canfunction as an antiferromagnetic layer with a thickness of only 80 Å, ascompared to 200 Å for an iron manganese (FeMn) AFM pinning layer, theiridium manganese (IrMn) is a preferred material for the third AFMpinning layer 314. In a still further embodiment each of the first andsecond AFM biasing layers 310 and 312 and the third AFM pinning layer314 are formed of the same antiferromagnetic material, which ispreferably iridium manganese (IrMn). With this arrangement the read gapof the read head is reduced for increasing the linear read density ofthe read head which promotes an increase in the storage capacity of amagnetic disk drive.

Another embodiment 400 of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 14 whichis the same as the embodiment 300 shown in FIG. 12 except the spin valvelayers 304, 306, 308, 310, 312 and 314 are reversed in their order ontop of the first read gap layer 322 with the first and second AFMbiasing layers 310 and 312 being directly on the first read gap layer322 and the first and second lead layers 318 and 320 being directly onthe third AFM pinning layer 314. In a preferred embodiment a firstcobalt iron (CoFe) layer 402 5 Å to 10 Å thick is located between thefirst and second AFM biasing layers and the first read gap layer 322 onone side and the free layer 308 on the other side and the spacer layer304 is located between second and third cobalt iron (CoFe) layers 404and 406 5 Å to 10 Å thick for the purpose of increasing themagnetoresistive coefficient (dr/R) of the read head. This type of readhead is referred to in the art as a top spin because the free layer 308is located closer to the first read gap layer 322 than it is to thesecond read gap layer 324. It is necessary that the third AFM pinninglayer in this embodiment be formed of a conductive antiferromagneticmaterial, such as the materials discussed hereinabove. In a preferredembodiment the first and second AFM biasing layers 310 and 312 and thethird AFM pinning layer 314 are formed of iridium manganese (IrMn).

FIG. 15 illustrates a single pinned layer 500 which has been shown foreach of the embodiments in FIGS. 12 and 14. It should be understood thatthe single pinned layer 500 may be replaced by an antiparallel (AP)pinned layer 502, as shown in FIG. 16. The AP pinned layer includes anAP coupling layer 504 which is located between first and secondferromagnetic pinned layers 506 and 508. The AP coupling film 604, whichis typically 8 Å of ruthenium (Ru), allows an antiparallel couplingbetween the first and second pinned films 506 and 508. Accordingly, ifthe first pinned film 506 is pinned by an antiferromagnetic layerperpendicular to and away from the ABS, as shown by , then the pinnedfilm 508 is pinned perpendicular to and toward the ABS, as shown by ⊙.

Method of Setting Magnetic Moments

FIGS. 17, 18 and 19 show a method of setting the magnetic spins of thefirst and second AFM pinning layers 310 and 312 in FIG. 12 for orientingthe magnetic moments of the sensor portion and the first and second sideportions of the free layer 308 longitudinally along the arrows 350, 352and 354, and for aligning the magnetic spins of the sensor portion ofthe AFM pinning layer 314 perpendicular to the ABS, as shown by thearrow 356 out of the paper which, in turn, pin the magnetic moment ofthe pinned layer 306 out of the paper as shown by the arrow 358. Themagnetic spins of the first and second AFM pinning layers 310 and 312are oriented parallel to the ABS before the magnetic spins of the AFMpinning layer 314 are oriented perpendicular to the ABS.

FIG. 17 shows a wafer 600 upon which rows and columns of magnetic heads602 have been constructed. At the wafer level the magnetic heads may besubjected to a field, as shown, directed parallel to the ABS along thetrack widths of the heads in the presence of heat, such as 230° C., forsetting the magnetic spins of the first and second AFM pinning layers310 and 312 in FIG. 12. This also sets the magnetic spins of the sensorportion and the first and second side portions of the AFM pinning layer314 in FIG. 12 parallel to the ABS. The magnetic spins of the sensorportion of the AFM pinning layer 314, however, are changed by the nextstep.

At the wafer level, but preferably at the row level, as shown in FIG.18, a current pulse is applied to terminals 604 and 606 of the first andsecond leads 318 and 320 in FIG. 12 for applying a current pulse throughthe spin valve sensor 302. As shown in FIG. 19, this causes the freelayer 308 to apply a current pulse field 610 on the AFM pinned layer314. This causes the magnetic moment 358 of the pinned layer to bedirected perpendicular to and toward the ABS, as shown. The currentpulse also discretely generates heat in the spin valve sensor and in thesensor portion of the AFM pinning layer 314 which, in combination withthe magnetic moment 358, causes magnetic spins of the sensor portion ofthe AFM pinning layer 314 to be directed perpendicular to and toward theABS, as shown at 356. Because of the discrete heating by the currentpulse magnetic spins of the first and second side portions of the AFMpinning layer 314 remain aligned parallel to the ABS, as shown by arrows612 and 614. This is because the sensor portion of the AFM pinning layer314 has been heated at or above its blocking temperature and the firstand second side portions of the AFM pinning layer 314 have not beenheated to their blocking temperature.

In a preferred embodiment the blocking temperature of the AFM pinninglayer 314 is below 300° C. In a still preferred embodiment the blockingtemperature is below 250° C. Materials suitable for this purpose arenickel oxide (NiO), alpha ferric oxide (a Fe₂O₃), iron manganese (FeMn)and iridium manganese (IrMn) with preferred material being iridiummanganese (IrMn) which has a blocking temperature of 250° C. and whichhas a minimum thickness of approximately 80 Å in order to implement adesired exchange coupling with the pinned layer 306.

Preferred fields in the first step shown in FIG. 18 are 5,000 Oe for asimple spin valve sensor and 12,000 Oe for an AP pinned spin valvesensor. In the second step, shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, a desired reset ofthe magnetic spins of the pinning layer 314 was implemented by 1 voltfor a period of 100 nanoseconds. This will provide a temperature of atleast 160°-180° which is sufficient for setting the magnetic spins of aniridium manganese (Mn) AFM pinning layer 314. In the embodiment 400 inFIG. 14 the magnetic spins of the pinning layer 314 are set in the samemanner as the embodiment 300 in FIG. 12. In the embodiments 300 in FIG.12 and 400 in FIG. 14 the first step sets the magnetic spins of thefirst and second AFM biasing layers 310 and 312 and the second step setsthe magnetic spins of the AFM pinning layer 314.

Clearly, other embodiments and modifications of this invention willoccur readily to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of theseteachings. Therefore, this invention is to be limited only by thefollowing claims, which include all such embodiments and modificationswhen viewed in conjunction with the above specification and theaccompanying drawings.

I claim:
 1. A magnetic read head having an air bearing surface (ABS) anda sensor region located between first and second side regionscomprising: the spin valve sensor including: a ferromagnetic free layerhaving a magnetic moment that is free to rotate; a ferromagnetic pinnedlayer having a magnetic moment; an antiferromagnetic pinning layerexchange coupled to the pinned layer; a nonmagnetic conductive spacerlayer located between the free and pinned layers; each of the free,pinned, pinning and spacer layers having a sensor portion located in thesensor region and first and second side portions located in the firstand second side regions; first and second antiferromagnetic biasinglayers located in the first and second side regions and exchange coupledto the first and second side portions of the free layer for magneticallybiasing the first and second side portions and the sensor portion of thefree layer parallel to the ABS; and the first and second side portionsof the pinning layer having magnetic spins oriented parallel to the ABS,and the sensor portion of the pinning layer having magnetic spinsoriented perpendicular to the ABS that pin a magnetic moment of thesensor portion of the pinning layer perpendicular to the ABS.
 2. Amagnetic read head as claimed in claim 1 including: first and secondleads located in the first and second side regions and electricallyconnected to the first and second side portions of the free, pinned,pinning and spacer layer for conducting a sense current through thesensor portions of the free, pinned, pinning and spacer layer;nonmagnetic nonconductive first and second read gap layers; the spinvalve sensor and the first and second leads being located between thefirst and second read gap layers; ferromagnetic first and second shieldlayers; and the first and second read gap layers being located betweenthe first and second shield layers.
 3. A magnetic read head as claimedin claim 2 wherein the pinning layer has a lower blocking temperaturethan a blocking temperature of the biasing layers.
 4. A magnetic readhead as claimed in claim 2 wherein each of the pinning layer and thefirst and second biasing layers are iridium manganese (IrMn).
 5. Amagnetic read head as claimed in claim 2 wherein a material of thepinning layer has a blocking temperature at or less than 250° C.
 6. Amagnetic read head as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pinning layer islocated closer to the first read gap layer than to the second read gaplayer.
 7. A magnetic read head as claimed in claim 6 wherein the firstand second lead layers interface the first and second biasing layers andthe first and second biasing layers are conductive.
 8. A magnetic readhead as claimed in claim 7 wherein a material of the pinning layer has ablocking temperature at or less than 250° C.
 9. A magnetic read head asclaimed in claim 8 wherein the blocking temperature of the pinning layeris less than a blocking temperature of the biasing layers.
 10. Amagnetic read head as claimed in claim 8 wherein each of the pinninglayer and the first and second biasing layers are iridium manganese(IrMn).
 11. A magnetic read head as claimed in claim 2 wherein thepinning layer is located closer to the second read gap layer than thefirst read gap layer.
 12. A magnetic read head as claimed in claim 11wherein the pinning layer is conductive and the first and second leadlayers interface first and second side portions of the pinning layer inthe first and second side regions respectively.
 13. A magnetic read headas claimed in claim 12 wherein a material of the pinning layer has ablocking temperature at or less than 250° C.
 14. A magnetic read head asclaimed in claim 13 wherein the blocking temperature of the pinninglayer is less than a blocking temperature of the biasing layers.
 15. Amagnetic read head as claimed in claim 13 wherein each of the pinninglayer and the first and second biasing layers are iridium manganese(IrMn).
 16. A magnetic head assembly including a write head and a readhead and an air bearing surface (ABS), the read head having a sensorregion that is located between first and second side regions,comprising: the write head including: ferromagnetic first and secondpole piece layers and a write gap layer; the first and second pole piecelayers being separated by the nonmagnetic nonconductive write gap layerat the ABS and connected at a back gap that is recessed rearwardly inthe head from the ABS; an insulation stack having at least first andsecond insulation layers; at least one coil layer embedded in theinsulation stack; and the insulation stack and the at least one coillayer being located between the first and second pole piece layers; andthe read head having a spin valve sensor that includes: a ferromagneticfree layer having a magnetic moment that is free to rotate; aferromagnetic pinned layer having a magnetic moment; anantiferromagnetic pinning layer exchange coupled to the pinned layer; anonmagnetic conductive spacer layer located between the free and pinnedlayers; each of the free, pinned, pinning and spacer layers having asensor portion located in the sensor region and first and second sideportions located in the first and second side regions; antiferromagneticfirst and second biasing layers located in the first and second sideregions and exchange coupled to the first and second side portions ofthe free layer for magnetically biasing the first and second sideportions and the sensor portion of the free layer parallel to the ABS;and the first and second side portions of the pinning layer havingmagnetic spins oriented parallel to the ABS, and the sensor portion ofthe pinning layer having magnetic spins oriented perpendicular to theABS that pin a magnetic moment of the sensor portion of the pinninglayer perpendicular to the ABS; the read head further including: firstand second leads located in the first and second side regions andelectrically connected to the first and second side portions of thefree, pinned, pinning and spacer layers for conducting a sense currentthrough the sensor portions of the free, pinned, pinning and spacerlayers; nonmagnetic nonconductive first and second read gap layers; thespin valve sensor and the first and second leads being located betweenthe first and second read gap layers; a first shield layer; and thefirst and second read gap layers being located between the first shieldlayer and the first pole piece layer.
 17. A magnetic head assembly asclaimed in claim 16 including: a ferromagnetic second shield layer; anonmagnetic isolation layer located between the second shield layer andthe first pole piece layer.
 18. A magnetic head assembly as claimed inclaim 16 wherein the pinning layer is located closer to the first readgap layer than to the second read gap layer.
 19. A magnetic headassembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein the first and second lead layersinterface the first and second biasing layers and the first and secondbiasing layers are conductive.
 20. A magnetic head assembly as claimedin claim 19 wherein each of the pinning layer and the first and secondbiasing layers are iridium manganese (IrMn).
 21. A magnetic headassembly as claimed in claim 20 wherein the pinning layer has a lowerblocking temperature than a blocking temperature of the biasing layers.22. A magnetic head assembly as claimed in claim 16 wherein the pinninglayer is located closer to the second read gap layer than the first readgap layer.
 23. A magnetic head assembly as claimed in claim 22 whereinthe pinning layer is conductive and the first and second lead layersinterface first and second side portions of the pinning layer in thefirst and second side regions respectively.
 24. A magnetic head assemblyas claimed in claim 23 wherein each of the pinning layer and the firstand second biasing layers are iridium manganese (IrMn).
 25. A magnetichead assembly as claimed in claim 24 wherein the pinning layer has alower blocking temperature than a blocking temperature of the biasinglayers.
 26. A magnetic disk drive that includes at least one magnetichead assembly that includes a write head, a read head and an air bearingsurface (ABS), the read head having a sensor region that is locatedbetween first and second side regions, comprising: the write headincluding: ferromagnetic first and second pole piece layers and a writegap layer; the first and second pole piece layers being separated by thenonmagnetic nonconductive write gap layer at the ABS and connected at aback gap that is recessed rearwardly in the head from the ABS; aninsulation stack having at least first and second insulation layers; atleast one coil layer embedded in the insulation stack; and theinsulation stack and the at least one coil layer being located betweenthe first and second pole piece layers; and the read head having a spinvalve sensor that includes: a ferromagnetic free layer having a magneticmoment that is free to rotate; a ferromagnetic pinned layer having amagnetic moment; an antiferromagnetic pinning layer exchange coupled tothe pinned layer; a nonmagnetic conductive spacer layer located betweenthe free and pinned layers; each of the free, pinned, pinning and spacerlayers having a sensor portion located in the sensor region and firstand second side portions located in the first and second side regions;first and second antiferromagnetic biasing layers located in the firstand second side regions and exchange coupled to the first and secondside portions of the free layer for magnetically biasing the first andsecond side portions and the sensor portion of the free layer parallelto the ABS; and the first and second side portions of the pinning layerhaving magnetic spins oriented parallel to the ABS, and the sensorportion of the pinning layer having magnetic spins orientedperpendicular to the ABS that pin a magnetic moment of the sensorportion of the pinning layer perpendicular to the ABS; the read headfurther including: first and second leads located in the first andsecond side regions and electrically connected to the first and secondside portions of the free, pinned, pinning and spacer layer forconducting a sense current through the sensor portions of the free,pinned, pinning and spacer layers; nonmagnetic nonconductive first andsecond read gap layers; the spin valve sensor and the first and secondleads being located between the first and second read gap layers; afirst shield layer; and the first and second read gap layers beinglocated between the first shield layer and the first pole piece layer. ahousing; a magnetic disk rotatably supported in the housing; a supportmounted in the housing for supporting the magnetic head assembly withsaid ABS facing the magnetic disk so that the magnetic head assembly isin a transducing relationship with the magnetic disk; a spindle motorfor rotating the magnetic disk; an actuator connected to the support formoving the magnetic head to multiple positions with respect to saidmagnetic disk; and a processor connected to the magnetic head, to thespindle motor for rotating the magnetic disk and to the actuator forexchanging signals with the magnetic head, for controlling movement ofthe magnetic disk and for controlling the position of the magnetic head.27. A magnetic disk drive as claimed in claim 26 including: aferromagnetic second shield layer; a nonmagnetic isolation layer locatedbetween the second shield layer and the first pole piece layer.
 28. Amagnetic disk drive as claimed in claim 26 wherein the pinning layer hasa lower blocking temperature than a blocking temperature of the biasinglayers.
 29. A magnetic disk drive as claimed in claim 28 wherein each ofthe pinning layer and the first and second biasing layers are iridiummanganese (IrMn).
 30. A magnetic disk drive as claimed in claim 26wherein a material of the pinning layer has a blocking temperature at orless than 250° C.